Giant Robots Fighting Each Other May Be A Reality Soon

[Spartan448]

Why not?

Why not what? That question seems like a complete non-sequitor to my post.

It's just that. Why not? Why would the robot not be able to step? It's no difference than say a knight who puts on armor and hefts a sword and a shield. He can still step just fine. We can already build machines that stand asymmetrically. We just need to adapt that technology for something mobile. Remember that we aren't necessarily going to be immediately watching mechs striding across the battlefield at 60km/hr like the light mechs in Mechwarrior, or even some of the heavier ones as well - At first, these things are going to be slow to move and slow to doge, and the victor is going to be whoever can land more shots or bigger shots and outslug his or her opponent first.

We already have automatons that are very much capable of bipedal locomotion while staying balanced and not falling over.

Yes, and they tend to look like people rather than like fictional mechs, and for very good reasons. (Or, they use overlapping feet prongs, like children's toys, which is effective but clumsy.)

I would say that making something that looks like a person and keeping that balanced is a lot harder than making something with no design constraints other than "it has to move on two legs or more" if that at all. With no specific constraints on what the parts need to look like, we can build in things like anchors on the legs that will support the bot during locomotion, or simply build wide bases that could help distribute the load.

Not to mention that with a larger scale and a emphasis on a completely humanoid shape, you can do things with the legs to minimize this problem further.

I'm not sure how larger scale helps anything; typically it does the opposite. As for "emphasis on a completely humanoid shape", um, that's not exactly what the concept art is displaying.

Larger scale does not beget more problems than smaller scale, as they both have their own sets of problems. Larger scale items may need to compensate more for small defects, while smaller scale things may be too complex to fix at all. It's all about identifying whether you are dealing with a large or small scale problem and reacting accordingly. As for the "humanoid shape" thing, I misspoke, I meant to say that will less of an emphasis on a completely humanoid shape, you have more leeway to modify the legs beyond being just things to stand on.

Again, the big problem here is not the physics of it, because with enough time those problems can be overcome. The problem is that there is just no market for any of this right now, and you have to get past that before anyone is willing to take you seriously. If this project gets funded, as amazing as it is, I will weep for all the people who lost their money on this fool's errand.

 

[FalloutJack]

[HEADING=1]YES! YES!! ALL THE YES!![/HEADING]

Its like we're TRYING to kickstart the Robopocalypse.

No, it will be the AWESOMEPOCALYPSE, the end of days from too much cool shit happening at once!

*Waits for the whole of Japan to take to this like a certain other country's Starcraft obsession*

 

[Jingle Fett]

This gives me tingles I'm sold

Bipedal locomotion is very hard to imitate. Other projects by bigger boys sofar have resulted in very limited and clumsy robots.

They shouldn't have wasted time building the paint guns, the cage and the arm first, but instead make a prototype walker first. That's the hurdle they are the least likely to overcome, but if they can, the rest should be relatively easy.

I agree that it's hard to pull off but it's been done successfully. Have you seen Boston Dynamics' Petman? The technology already exists and making it bigger should be easier than making it smaller I would imagine. Granted these guys aren't being funded by DARPA like Boston Dynamics is but still.

 

[veloper]

This gives me tingles I'm sold

Bipedal locomotion is very hard to imitate. Other projects by bigger boys sofar have resulted in very limited and clumsy robots.

They shouldn't have wasted time building the paint guns, the cage and the arm first, but instead make a prototype walker first. That's the hurdle they are the least likely to overcome, but if they can, the rest should be relatively easy.

I agree that it's hard to pull off but it's been done successfully. Have you seen Boston Dynamics' Petman? The technology already exists and making it bigger should be easier than making it smaller I would imagine. Granted these guys aren't being funded by DARPA like Boston Dynamics is but still.

Yep, those are the big boys and even their mech legs are still unsuitable.

 

[Monsterfurby]

I agree that it's hard to pull off but it's been done successfully. Have you seen Boston Dynamics' Petman? The technology already exists and making it bigger should be easier than making it smaller I would imagine. Granted these guys aren't being funded by DARPA like Boston Dynamics is but still.

While the technology is certainly there, anything funded by DARPA probably has a much larger bankroll than a $1.8M Kickstarter. Maybe if you replace the M with a B.

 

[Buizel91]

Tbf they aren't the first, build upon what we see in the video and it could work.

 

[TheArcaneThinker]

So its finally happening eh ? Looks like skynet will be in for a treat when she takes over.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

That balance is thanks to Andreas Hofmann, a humanoid controls engineer. Drawing from his Ph.D. thesis, "Robust Execution of Bipedal Walking Tasks From Biomechanical Principles," engineers have run simulations scaled up for the MegaBots exploring how the MegaBots will walk.

Ah, I've lost interest now. If the giant robots aren't using jet packs or rocket boots, quite frankly what's the point?

 

[Smooth Operator]

They shouldn't have wasted time building the paint guns, the cage and the arm first, but instead make a prototype walker first. That's the hurdle they are the least likely to overcome, but if they can, the rest should be relatively easy.

You start at the most demanding part when you are assured funds to finish, but they will have very little money and by the end of their budget they need something that will entertain, not a stick that can wander around on it's own. Spending time on legs with this little cash could kill the project where it stands, but merely having a driving platform and the rest of their combat aspect functional would provide 90% of what they need to run a show.
Time would be much better spent on showmanship, rockets, mortars, flamers, lasers, pyrotechnic ammo instead of paint, detachable body parts, possibly melee weapons,... that shit makes a show worth watching.

And later on if this makes real money they can still do their legs and wow the audience all over again.

 

[Jingle Fett]

This gives me tingles I'm sold

Bipedal locomotion is very hard to imitate. Other projects by bigger boys sofar have resulted in very limited and clumsy robots.

They shouldn't have wasted time building the paint guns, the cage and the arm first, but instead make a prototype walker first. That's the hurdle they are the least likely to overcome, but if they can, the rest should be relatively easy.

I agree that it's hard to pull off but it's been done successfully. Have you seen Boston Dynamics' Petman? The technology already exists and making it bigger should be easier than making it smaller I would imagine. Granted these guys aren't being funded by DARPA like Boston Dynamics is but still.

Yep, those are the big boys and even their mech legs are still unsuitable.

Unsuitable? It walks up stairs, it can be pushed while walking without falling, it can walk on unstable rocky terrain, it can even balance on one foot while being pushed. You need much less than that for big slow piloted assault mechs, the main difference is they just need to make it bigger and making stuff bigger is usually easier than making it smaller.
The question isn't whether the tech exists or can be done effectively, we know the big boys can pull it off. It's whether these particular guys can build bigger/slower versions on the budget they're asking for and whether their algorithms are up to snuff.

 

[Strazdas]

anyone remmeber that show from the 90s called robot wars where people would fight in arena with remote control robots? those were awesome. if that got to bigger we may get to be like that film where robot boxing is a thing.

 

[Dascylus]

I really want to see giant robots fighting... Like really really want to see it happen.
But listening to a guy describe this project with terms like "And then a robot goes 'whoosh, kapow' and then there's flames and the other robot is like 'oh my god, kablamow' and then your robot wins and becomes king of the playground" did not fill me with confidence.

Plus, no matter how good your algorithms are, tracked mechs carry more weight, so more armour. Walkers at our currents level don't have the speed or agility to outdo them.
So imagine my big, heavy armoured, tracked, low center of gravity, monstrosity bearing down on your mech with the main intent of flipping you off your feet.

 

[Noxman]

My cynicism just doesn't trust anymore. Watching the video and reading about it the impression I get is either some people who are completed deluded by astoundingly unrealistic goals or three people who are using the goodwill and 'fanboyism' of the gaming world to raise funds and garner publicity for their engineering shop.

I imaging the truth lies somewhere in the middle and no one has such clear-cut goals (such as "make mechwarrior" or "exploit people") but it's hard to imagine this is going to come of anything and it's a shame people are going to give them real moneys just for the sheer bad-assery of the concept.

Please note much more robot fun is to be had with Mechwarrior Online, got some troubling f2p elements but ignore all that shit and stomp around in giant robots shooting eachother.

Oh also I love that concept picture of a tiny arena with robots shooting real guns supposedly piloted by two people each. The audience is also like *right* there. Are they proposing we attempt to bring back blood sports as a final goal?

Edit: Additionally in response to saying that they shouldn't concentrate on the viability of walking first. Well if you start a project you lay out what you have to do and the time/resources required to do each thing. If one thing is going to take the most time and resouces (in this case being based on technology that does not yet exist for something of this size/shape/purpose) then you do that thing first/along-side other small things. Otherwise if this large thing that takes up the most things can't be done then you have not wasted your time and resources on the other things to go with it.

Edit edit: Also this whole thing is entirely based on "wouldn't that be awesome?". We have video-games for this purpose already. Giant walking robots are incredibly impractical. Until we have robots that are as agile as people they are effectively redundant, at least for large sizes. We already have far more practical versions, they are called tanks. They are very fast, manouverable and can cross most types of terrain. All this along with having multiple weapons that can acquire and track targets at high speed while moving in all directions.

Giant walking robots are absolutely awesome but our ideas of what they should be do not reflect the necessity of practicality in real life. I imagine if large walking robots every become a reality they will be vastly different from our current conceptions.

 

[veloper]

This gives me tingles I'm sold

Bipedal locomotion is very hard to imitate. Other projects by bigger boys sofar have resulted in very limited and clumsy robots.

They shouldn't have wasted time building the paint guns, the cage and the arm first, but instead make a prototype walker first. That's the hurdle they are the least likely to overcome, but if they can, the rest should be relatively easy.

I agree that it's hard to pull off but it's been done successfully. Have you seen Boston Dynamics' Petman? The technology already exists and making it bigger should be easier than making it smaller I would imagine. Granted these guys aren't being funded by DARPA like Boston Dynamics is but still.

Yep, those are the big boys and even their mech legs are still unsuitable.

Unsuitable? It walks up stairs, it can be pushed while walking without falling, it can walk on unstable rocky terrain, it can even balance on one foot while being pushed. You need much less than that for big slow piloted assault mechs, the main difference is they just need to make it bigger and making stuff bigger is usually easier than making it smaller.
The question isn't whether the tech exists or can be done effectively, we know the big boys can pull it off. It's whether these particular guys can build bigger/slower versions on the budget they're asking for and whether their algorithms are up to snuff.

Just imagine a rollcage on a super-scaled version of that. No need for pelting the pilots with bullets of paint when just setting the mech to walk will shake the occupant into submission.

 

[veloper]

They shouldn't have wasted time building the paint guns, the cage and the arm first, but instead make a prototype walker first. That's the hurdle they are the least likely to overcome, but if they can, the rest should be relatively easy.

You start at the most demanding part when you are assured funds to finish, but they will have very little money and by the end of their budget they need something that will entertain, not a stick that can wander around on it's own. Spending time on legs with this little cash could kill the project where it stands, but merely having a driving platform and the rest of their combat aspect functional would provide 90% of what they need to run a show.
Time would be much better spent on showmanship, rockets, mortars, flamers, lasers, pyrotechnic ammo instead of paint, detachable body parts, possibly melee weapons,... that shit makes a show worth watching.

And later on if this makes real money they can still do their legs and wow the audience all over again.

Yeah, robots on wheels is what's probably going to happen if this projects succeeds. Count me out.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Also this whole thing is entirely based on "wouldn't that be awesome?". We have video-games for this purpose already. Giant walking robots are incredibly impractical. Until we have robots that are as agile as people they are effectively redundant, at least for large sizes. We already have far more practical versions, they are called tanks. They are very fast, maneuverable and can cross most types of terrain. All this along with having multiple weapons that can acquire and track targets at high speed while moving in all directions.

If video games were a complete replacement for real life entertainment then only video games would be used everywhere, but they aren't because real physical action is still far far better then anything a sheet of pixels can convey. Until we can make a direct spinal cortex interface anyway.

And they very specifically said this is all for an arena show, not a military tech replacement. Which is why I maintain they need to shelve the legs, slap some threads on those bodies and make the arena combat happen in full pyrotechnic glory. Do the legs once this show is paying for itself.

 

[Grumman]

I also agree that tracked mechs would be the way to do it, at least for the time being. Legs might draw more attention, but something akin to a two-seater excavator with (paintball) guns is more likely to actually work.